Shrouded in secrecy, the selection of the Conservative Party candidate to fight the newly-drawn Penrith and Solway constituency at the next General Election may have turned on one hot button question of the day.
Should Harry and Meghan be invited to the coronation of King Charles, came the question from the floor.
Penrith and the Border MP Dr Neil Hudson reportedly gave a long answer about the importance of fathers forgiving their sons.
His rival for selection, Workington MP Mark Jenkinson, was far more direct: “Yes they should be invited, no they shouldn’t come,” which drew laughter.
But the private, members-only secret ballot session held last Saturday hinged on far more than a single question.
Each contender gave a five-minute speech and then took questions from the floor, on subjects such as the so-called culture wars and the Channel boats.
When the result came back, it was two to one in favour of Whitehaven-born Jenkinson. The 41-year-old father of four supported Labour as a teenager in 1997, has stood as a UKIP candidate and served as an assistant government whip.
He is said to have received 72 votes to Dr Hudson’s 33. The veterinarian, some said, had been “slaughtered”.
Asked for the figures, a spokesperson for Mr Jenkinson said: “Selection is an internal party matter.
“Regardless of the result, a candidate only needs to win by one vote to get the nomination.”
